Stuffing-box for oil-well pumps.



C. A. SWANSUN.

STUFFING BOX FOR OIL WELL PUMPS.

APPLICATION flLED DEC-29. 19M.

Patented Nov. 6, 1917.-

m s n m r OS A 68 x f C W omuou.

CHARLES A. SWANSON, OF LOS AJ SI'GELES, CALIFORNIA.

srurrmanox roa OIL-WELL Pumps.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 6, 1917.

Application filed December 29, 1916. Serial No. 139,676.

To all whom it may concern. I

Be it known that 1, Cinemas A. SWAN- SON, a citizen of Sweden, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Smiling-Boxes for Oil-Well Pumps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a lubricator stuffing box for umping rods of oil wells.

In the or inary construction of deep well oil pumps a stufiing box is located above the upper end of the well casing in which the pumping rod reciprocates. The flow of 011 is usually subjected to fluctuations. When a pocket of gas is liberated at the bottom of the well a body of oil will be forced upwardly in the pump casing and past the stuihng box and will over-flow the upper end of the oil pump. The oil dripping over the connections and parts situated below keeps the parts greasy with oil and is a source of annoyance. .At other times the yield of oil will be'insudiceint to form a film of oil about. the pumpin rod and the packing material in the stuffing box will become hot and rapidly worn because of the lack of lubrication of the pumping rod reciprocated therein.

It is the object of this invention to pro-- vide-simple and positive means for insuring constant lubrication of the pumping rod and at the same time avoiding the objectionable spilling of oil on the pr p connections and other parts above rem ed to and to carry away the surplus oil coming from the oil well through the stuffing My invention comprises a closed oil chamber located immediately above the stufing box and is designed to collect the oil which at times is forced past the stufing box and to supply the same gradually to the pump rod for lubrication during those periods when that section of the pump rod would ordinarily lack lubrication. An over-flow pipe is provided conveying the surplus oil from the oil chamber to a drip-pan beneath, thereby avoiding any fouling of the pumping apparatus with oil.

Anotherobject of this invention is to provide means which are exceedingly simple, easily installed and removed for repairs or cleaning purposes.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The accompanying drawings illustrate means of an apertured screw cap "lindrical pumping rod 19 is reciprocably from member 11 is screwed, which supports the lower stufiing box member 12. The latter is provided with an externally threaded neck 13 engaging the internally threaded bore of the coupling member 11. flhe lower stufing box member 12 is provided with a tubular externally threaded neck 15' adapted to receive the upper tubular stufing box member 16 which is internally threaded and ada ted to engage the neck 15 of the low-er stu g box member. Integral with the upper stuifing box member 16 is a cylindrical oil chamber 17 whose upper end is closed by.

18. A cymounted in thepump casin 10 and passes centrally through the tubu ar member 11, the stuflin box members 12 and 16, the oil chamber 1%, and the'screw cap 18. The adjacent ends of the stufing box members are provided with an enlarged bore, thereby forming an annular retaining shoulder 20 in the lower stufiing box member 12 and an annular shoulder 21 in the upper stuffing box member 16. In the stuiiin. is an annular chamber 22. Surrounding rod 19 a packing material is consist or rings of rubber 23, hemp or any other suitable packing material and is held rmly in position by means or upper and lower packing sleeves 2e and 25. The pressure exerted by these packing sleeves on the packing material can be adjusted by screwing the upper stufiug box member upon the neck 15, as will be understood.

over-flow pipe 26 is provided leading the upper part of the oil chamber 17, the lower end thereof being vertically above an open cylindrical drip-pan27, whose bottom is provided with a screw threaded aperture 28 secured on neck 29 of the tubular member 11. An outlet pipe 30 leads from the drip-pan 27 to any convenient oil collecting means, (notshown).

The upper stuffing box member 16 which carries integrally therewith the oil chamber 17 is provided with a pair of oppositely disprovided which posed internally threaded nipples 31 for the reception of externally threaded rods (not shown) whereby the stuffing box member and oil chamber may be removed or adjusted in relation to the lower stufiing box member. The lower stufling box member 12 is pro-. vided with a hexagonal neck 32 whereby the same may be engaged by a wrench for screwing and unscrewing the same in position.

The operation of the lubricating device is as follows:

Whenever the oil well flows freely and the pumpin rod 19 carries a film of oil above the stu ng box into the oil chamber 17 the surplus oil is collected in said chamber, which acts as an oil reservoir. This is especially the case when avpocket of gas is encountered at the bottom of the well which forces oil between the packing and the pumping rod into the oil chamber. During the period when the pumping rod would normally run dry and be without lubrication the oil chamber 17 would supply oil to said rod, thus keeping the same lubricated and avoiding the bearing from becoming hot, thus preserving the life of the packing. When the level of oil in the oil chamber 17 rises to the outlet pipe the excess oil will over-flow therethrough and drip into the drip pan 27 situated beneath said pipe, whence the same is conducted through the outlet pipe to any convenient collecting means. The drip-pan will also catch the leakage through the threads and joints of the stuifing box.

It is thus seen that I have devised a simple, yet efficient lubricator for the pumping rod which utilizes the excess oil forced and carried past the stufiing box for lubrication.

.into the drip-pan; and a In case the oil supply in the oil chamber should run low the packing may be loosened by unscrewing the top to allow the oil to flow into the chamber and fill the same. It is good practice to partly fill the oil chamber with a heavy grease or with tallow to be mixed with the oil of the well in order to provide a lubricant having a greater viscosity.

While I have shown my preferred embodiment of the invention it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes in the details and construction thereof may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention as claimed.

I claim:

A stufling box for oil well pumps comprising a coupling adapted to connect with the oil well casing and having a central bore for the pump rod, alower stufling box member connected to the coupling, an upper stuliing box member connected to the lower member, a cylindrical body formed integral with the upper stufiing box member concentric with the pump rod and forming an oil chamber, a cap for closing the chamber, an overflow pipe leading from the top of the chamber, a drip-pan connected to the coupling and surrounding the lower part of the stufling box; said overflow pipe discharging drain for the drip pan; so as to carry off surplus oil passing upwardly from the oil stufling box.

well through the In testimony whereof I have slgned my name to this specification.

CHAS. A. SWANSON. 

